Mission to Denalia Prime
by Crimsonight
Summary: Sent to a primitive world filled with dangerous predators, Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee must seek out the spiritual and elusive Denali. One of many neutral systems to find itself in the crosshairs of the Clone Wars, Denalia Prime will not only be a system fought for, but will also serve as Barriss Offee's first mission since her encounter with the Geonosian brain worms.
1. Chapter 1

"To truly express one's self is to remove all masks."

**CLONE WARS**

**Mission to Denalia Prime**

_Neutral systems in peril! In a frustrated effort to tip the balance of war into their favor, the Separatists have launched a military campaign conquering systems that have yet to pledge allegiance in the ongoing Clone Wars. With imminent threat of invasion and the past experiences of Separatists interfering with neutral system negotiations, the Jedi do not take any chances with Denalia Prime. Before the Republic can construct a base on the planet, Jedi Master Luminara Unduli and her Padawan, Barriss Offee, must first negotiate a defense treaty with the primitive and spiritual inhabitants, the Denali._

* * *

"Master, if I may ask, why has the Republic dedicated our entire fleet for this mission? It seems a bit much for negotiating a treaty," Barriss humbly asked her master as they stood on the bridge of The Tranquility. The blue and white tunnel of hyperspace was streaking by through every visible window as they neared their destination.

Jedi Master Luminara Unduli answered while continuing to look forward. "While three Jedi cruisers may seem… overzealous, the concern is well-founded. Not only due to the Separatists seeming to attack neutral systems at random, but they also interfered with Master Yoda's negotiation with the Toydarians on Rugosa. That mission wasn't even in any official records and yet the Separatists were there in great numbers. We will not be caught off-guard again."

"They seem to have a great interest in neutral systems," Barriss thought out loud. "Even if the systems are of no use to them, they dedicate much to acquiring them. Perhaps it isn't so much about the systems and their resources… The Separatists are trying to force our hand."

Luminara looked over at her apprentice. "Very good, my Padawan. The Jedi Council suspects that the ultimate goal of the invasions is to spread us too thin."

"It's working," Barriss stated bluntly. "With all due respect, Master, we shouldn't be playing into the Separatist's hands so casually. We could at least try to reserve our strength for when and where it is needed. Given the situation, two Jedi is too much to dedicate to this mission."

"Three Jedi, actually," A holocommunicator-synthesized, yet familiar voice chimed in behind them. Barriss spun around both surprised and excited to see that the holotable had activated behind them with the image of Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano.

A few different greetings and exclamations rushed through Barriss' mind, but she landed on returning to the conversation. "Ahsoka! Wait… three?"

Luminara smiled at the rawness of Barriss' actions. Everyone, Luminara included, was giving Barriss the space and leniency that she needed while getting back into the swing of things. Luminara looked to Ahsoka as she spoke. "Yes. Being your first mission since the incident with the Geonosian brain worms, the Council decided that it would be best for you to have a fellow Padawan accompany you. Greetings, Padawan Tano. Have you arrived at the Denalia System yet?"

"Looks like we beat you here, Master. We arrived not too long ago. Everything seems clear. The clankers would've attacked by now if they knew we were here," Ahsoka stated excitedly. "How are you feeling, Barriss?"

"I am well, Ahsoka. Thanks for asking," Barriss nodded her head respectfully unaware of the grin spreading across her face. She was happy to see Ahsoka again, but was also a bit annoyed at how everyone was acting around her. She insisted that she was ready to return to active duty a week earlier yet the sympathy treatment from everyone persisted. Her grin from seeing Ahsoka again vanished as she turned to her master. "My question remains. Now we have three Jedi. Isn't it an awful lot to dedicate to this mission especially since there is no intelligence to suggest the Separatists being aware of it?"

"Only two Jedi are assigned, and no, it isn't too much. I'll remain on board the Tranquility while you head down to the planet," Luminara answered. "This way, we are prepared for the worst, but we will also be heading on to another mission after this on Manaan. Denalia Prime is on our way is all."

"Only two?" Barriss was even more curious.

Ahsoka answered. "I'm on loan from Master Skywalker. He had some Galactic Senate stuff to do and I asked if there was anything I could do that didn't involve the Jedi Archives. Here I am! I await your arrival."

"Which will be any moment now, Padawan Tano. Break orbit and prepare to dock," Luminara instructed.

"This ought to be fun to see. Rex is giving Hardcase a try at the controls," Ahsoka joked. Barriss looked like she didn't quite understand, so Ahsoka elaborated. "Anakin let us borrow the Twilight to get out here. Hardcase isn't very good with mechanics unless they're supposed to go boom."

The three of them smiled at the idea of a trigger-happy clone piloting a 'work in progress' freighter. The blue, streaking lights of hyperspace suddenly waned away to the black, star-riddled views of space in the windows of the Tranquility. Luminara turned to assess their position and then turned back to the holotable. "We've just arrived. You may dock when ready."

Ahsoka bowed respectively and then her image vanished from the holotable. Luminara turned to face her Padawan. "Be mindful of your feelings on the planet, Barriss. I sense an unfiltered rawness to your emotions."

Barriss bit her tongue and swallowed the brief lecture. "I will. Thank you, Master." She desperately wanted to argue that she was fine, but if she said and did nothing her master was more likely to accept that truth. Luminara's teachings were a lot like fighting fire with wind. The more you fight, the more the fire persists. "I shouldn't keep Ahsoka waiting."

Luminara looked out the front of the bridge windows and saw the Twilight landing in the Tranquility's forward hangar with a most unusual wobble. "May the Force be with you," she said to Barriss respectfully. They both bowed and Barriss calmly but swiftly exited to join Ahsoka in the hangar.

* * *

Amidst a fair amount of identical laughs, Ahsoka finished the landing sequence as the Twilight made a few last-second course corrections. Behind her, Jesse had his arms playfully wrapped around a defeated and humbled Hardcase. "Ah, don't feel too bad. We can't do everything. I certainly can't make things blow up as easily as you can."

Ahsoka finished setting the controls and turned to face the small team of 501st clones. "You're a valued member of this team, Hardcase. We just aren't ready yet to see General Skywalker's face after telling him that you blew up his favorite tinker toy."

The atmosphere on board the ship was light-hearted and casual. It was good for the clones, but Rex saw that Ahsoka's mind wasn't fully grasping the moment at hand. So, he had to step up and kill the mood. "Troopers!" He called them to attention. Jesse, Hardcase, Tup and Dura all snapped to attention. "In a few moments, we will be joined by Jedi Commander Barriss Offee. She will be with us for the duration of this mission. You will give her the same amount of respect and authority that you give to Commander Tano. Is that clear?"

Most of the clones said their 'sir, yes sir' a bit quieter than usual, but Jesse didn't say anything which didn't go unnoticed. When Ahsoka gave him a questioning look from her seat at the controls, he stepped forward to address both her and Rex. "I believe I speak for most if not all of us that we will grant Commander Offee the authority of her rank, but it will be nearly impossible to give her the same respect that we give to you, Commander."

Ahsoka stood up to look at them all in the eyes, adding more impact to her words. "Barriss is my friend. She tried to kill me too, but she remains one of my closest friends. You can't hold her accountable for what she did under the control of those awful brain worms."

"She didn't kill Trap while under any worm's control," Hardcase retorted. Ahsoka looked around. Most of the clones seemed to share a similar perspective. Even Dura looked reluctant to forgive Barriss.

The scene wasn't amusing at all anymore. Any positive atmosphere was gone and Ahsoka was a bit offended at their short-sightedness. "Oh, and I suppose you're all just going to conveniently forget the fact that Trap was under a worm's influence and was trying to kill her. Also, it was a clone that brought the worms on board and infected her! If anyone should be harboring negative feelings about anyone, it should be Barriss against clones."

Her argument made sense, but Jesse wasn't convinced. "That may be true, but actions can only be forgiven by the living. The fact remains. Trap was the one who died. We all read that report. You didn't kill anyone. Our brothers didn't kill anyone. It was clear that Trap was infected and instead of helping him, Barriss Offee ended him."

Before the seemingly endless debate could continue, the Twilight's medical droid entered the cockpit. "Excuse the intrusion, but there is a young woman waiting at the back of the ship. Should I lower the cargo bay door?"

Ahsoka stepped forward, cutting off any clone's last comments. "No. I'll do it myself. Thanks." She turned to Rex and leaned in to speak more softly. "Are we going to have a problem?"

Rex leaned in as well. "No, Sir. Good soldiers follow orders, and these are my best men." Rex knew that those brief and quiet conversations between him and Ahsoka got on the other clones' nerves, so he stood back and spoke much louder. "Right, men? You are the finest of the 501st and will follow Commander Tano into the worst of sarlacc pits if need be."

It suddenly dawned on all of the clones that they were threatening to be disrespectful to Ahsoka. Jesse made sure to get the first words in response. He stepped forward and looked Ahsoka right in the eye. "We'll follow you anywhere, Commander." With her confidence reassured, Ahsoka smiled and bowed respectfully to her troopers. She then proceeded to the cargo bay.

* * *

Clones were moving in every direction; either running drills, maintaining equipment, or performing other tasks. The Tranquility's hangar was buzzing with activity as Jedi Padawan Barriss Offee and Clone Commander Gree waited patiently at the back of the Twilight. Gree turned to Barriss slightly. "They know we're here, right?"

"I sense an unusually high amount of anxiety coming from Ahsoka's ship," Barriss furled her brow in deep thought.

"Could it be trouble?" Gree asked. He wasn't a cookie-cutter clone, but he was rather focused on missions, objectives and the potential for volatile situations. Usually keeping his helmet on and being mindful of such things brought more attention to his actions than his personality and he preferred it that way.

"I don't think so," Barriss answered. A smile suddenly spread across her face. "Everything is fine." With those words, the ramp to the Twilight's cargo bay lowered. Ahsoka stood in the ship with a warm and welcoming smile.

Both were almost waiting to see who would speak first, but Gree got the first word in. "Permission to come aboard, Sir?" He addressed Ahsoka.

Ahsoka snapped out of the moment and turned her attention to the white and green armored clone. "Of course. Welcome aboard the Twilight." She motioned for them to board. Gree maintained his military demeanor as he assertively entered the cargo hold and started heading for the cockpit. Barriss gracefully lifted the front of her skirt and stepped up on to the cargo bay loading ramp. Ahsoka offered her hand in assistance, but more as a welcoming gesture or courtesy and respect.

Barriss' fingertips just barely graced Ahsoka's palm when a shockwave violently shook the ship about causing them to stagger apart. Red lights began pulsing from every wall and support column as alarms began to wail all over the ship. Ahsoka and Barriss looked at each other but didn't get a word spoken before another shockwave, accompanied by a low percussive sound jostled the Tranquility even more sending both Padawans to the floor. They quickly snapped back up and reached for their lightsabers as Ahsoka's 501st troopers came running out of the Twilight. Their helmets were on and their guns were charged. Gree followed suit and joined step with Rex as the troopers faced the Padawans awaiting orders.

The hangar was a sea of chaos as troopers were running and shouting. No one knew what was going on, but it felt like a battle. The assumed order was to get to battle stations and await further orders should those red lights and wailing sirens ever activate. Barriss reached for her holocommunicator and activated it revealing Luminara hunched over her holotable in deep concentration. Shockwaves continued to throw the ship about. "Master! What's going on?" Barriss shouted over the commotion.

"We're under attack!" Ahsoka shouted. She ignited her lightsaber with her eyes fixed on the ceiling entrance to the Tranquility's forward hangar. Cannon fire was ripping the hangar doors to pieces and debris was beginning to compromise the integrity of the venator cruiser's primary hangar bays.

"Troopers, prepare for assault!" Barriss shouted.

"Belay that order, Barriss. I need you and Ahsoka to get to the planet," Luminara shouted through the holocommunicator.

Barriss stretched out her arm motioning for the clones to stop and wait for further orders. She then looked up at the ceiling entrance as it broke away and red laser fire started penetrating the ship's smaller hangar cells. Ray shield barriers were failing and durasteel barriers were closing all over the launch deck to maintain air pressure. "Master, we can no longer launch from the main hangar."

Luminara kept a firm grip on her holotable to keep her standing as the ship continued to shake and tremor violently. "They don't want to give us a chance to launch fighters. They managed to get a focused barrage in before we could fully raise our shields. Make your way to the escape pods."

Ahsoka stepped up to Barriss' holocommunicator. "We can't possibly be losing already!"

Luminara needed to focus on the battle and end the conversation. "I'll take care of this battle. They don't have enough firepower to take on a full fleet. The lower hull has also been compromised and you two need to get to the planet now! Use the escape pods. We'll send a shuttle for you once the fight is over up here. Now go!" Luminara's image faded away without another word.


	2. Chapter 2

**Mission to Denalia Prime  
Chapter II**

Once they reached the closest set of escape pods, Ahsoka turned to address her troops. "Troopers, you know the drill. We are going to even out our numbers between two pods. "Jesse and Hardcase, you will join Gree and Barriss in their pod. Rex, Tup and Dura, you're with me. Let's go!" Ahsoka and Barriss quickly entered their pods and started up the launch sequence. Ahsoka could feel a glare coming from Jesse and Hardcase, but chose to ignore it. 'Hopefully some time with Barriss will ease their feelings towards her,' she thought to herself.

With everyone in their pods and the bulkhead doors sealed behind them, they launched into the firefight. Finally able to see what was going on, the clones were clamoring over each other to get a look at the action while the Padawans piloted their way through the battle. Luminara was right. The Separatists had only sent three banking clan munificent frigates. They'd pack a punch, but ultimately couldn't hope to achieve victory over three venator cruisers.

It seemed to be a desperate offensive. The Separatists clearly didn't want any Republic forces making it to the surface of Denalia Prime. As soon as Ahsoka's and Barriss' escape pods were launched, two of the three frigates directed all of their fire at the pods. The rain of laser fire was intense and the clones were very thankful to have Jedi at the helms. "Reposition us between the frigates and the escape pods!" Luminara commanded the Tranquility's helmsman. Barriss and Ahsoka were white-knuckling the controls as they narrowly dodged the barrage of laser fire. The streaks of red lit up the escape pods nearly as bright as a sun. The Tranquility intercepted one of the frigate's fire and was moving to cover the next. Its sub-light speeds were slow, but the Padawans could hold on for that long.

Picking up a bit of her master's strategies in her training, Ahsoka was barrel rolling and making dramatic maneuvers to dodge the remaining onslaught. While she successfully kept the droids guessing and dodged every shot, Ahsoka was pushing the escape pod far past its limits. One of the lateral thrusters shorted out under the pressure. Ahsoka's escape pod went spiraling out of control and nearly collided with Barriss'. The Tranquility finally eclipsed the Separatist frigates and laser fire ceased to enshroud the pods. With a clear line of sight, Barriss looked on in horror as she spotted Ahsoka's escape pod just ahead of hers spiraling and falling too fast.

Jesse tried hailing Ahsoka's pod as it continued to accelerate towards the planet. There was no response. He turned to Barriss aggressively. "Isn't there anything you can do!? Can't you use the Force or something?"

Barriss was gritting her teeth and didn't turn to face him as she responded. "I'm trying…" Jesse didn't realize until hearing her strained response that she was already putting her all into trying to control Ahsoka's escape pod's descent. Her hands were no longer at the helm of her pod and instead were outstretched towards the ballistic escape pod ahead of them. Whether or not Ahsoka and the clones were conscious or not was unclear. Barriss had to assume that it was completely up to her to save them, but the task was daunting to say the least. Hardcase and Jesse were leaning forward on the back of Barriss' seat as she continued trying to control the other pod with the Force. Their pressure was not helping.

After a few moments that felt a lot longer than they were, Gree stepped forward. "Sir, we are approaching the planet very quickly and must prepare for entering the atmosphere." Jesse and Hardcase turned and scowled at Gree, but he was the only one focused on their own lives. Barriss didn't acknowledge Gree's statement. She continued focusing on Ahsoka's pod despite the green and brown planet getting larger in the windows with each passing second. It wasn't spinning very much anymore but it was still accelerating away from them. Even with inertial dampeners, the impact would be lethal at those speeds. Gree stepped forward to stand alongside Barriss. "Commander Offee, we must begin our reentry sequence if we wish to survive." His tone was a bit harsher. Gree's tone was exposing some fear which was enough to distract Barriss for a long enough moment to see his reasoning.

The thrusters of Ahsoka's escape pod were flickering on and off, so someone inside must've been trying to stabilize their fall. Turbulence began shaking the escape pods as flames caressed them. They were entering the atmosphere. Barriss took another long look at Ahsoka's escape pod ahead of them out the primary forward viewport. Then, with a single tear rolling down her tattooed cheek, she pulled back on the helm of her escape pod turning it to face away from the planet. Their viewport came to rest on the sight of the on-going space battle raging above. A blue-ish haze began to cloud the viewport as they plummeted deeper into the planet's atmosphere. Luminara's fleet was going to win the battle, but the Tranquility suffered a lot of damage covering the escape pods' descent. Barriss found herself feeling overwhelmed by worry for both Ahsoka and her master and recognized it as a problem. So, she took a deep breath and cleared her mind of everything but the tasks at hand.

By that point, Jesse and Hardcase had abandoned all sense of rank and respect and were barking orders at Barriss, but she didn't hear them. She didn't feel the rumbling of the pod as it fell through the atmosphere nor sense the anxieties of the clones. She took another deep breath and whispered to herself. "There is no passion, there is serenity." Her eyes closed, she stretched out her hands and adjusted the escape pod's controls. A quick change in gravitational forces on the escape pod threw all three standing clones to the floor as the thrusters ignited, slowing the pod's descent.

The view of the space battle gave way to a dark blue sky of coming night. Barriss kept her meditative demeanor and adjusted each of the controls with the guidance of the Force. They came down quickly, but safely, narrowly missing trees and protruding rocks amidst a lush forest. The clones marveled at what they could already see out their viewport which still pointed directly upwards. Trees stretched out all around them and kept on growing taller. The forest canopy had to have been over a kilometer in height! The sky was no longer visible at all as the escape pod came to rest safely between the trees.

Commander Gree pulled a blue lever near the rear hatch of the pod. Mechanical arms stretched out in four different directions from the pod and steadied it. Then, they gracefully lifted the pod and rotated it to rest level with the ground. Gree then pulled the next lever with the red handle. "Artificial gravity and inertial dampeners disabled. A smooth landing, Commander."

Barriss didn't even acknowledge Gree's compliment or Jesse's and Hardcase's continued dialog. As soon as the landing procedure was completed, her eyes snapped open. She slammed her fist down on the red switch beside the helm, depressurizing the escape pod and opening the rear hatch. Before the pod fully opened or even lowered any ramp to exit, she shot out of the escape pod with a relentless will. The clones desperately chased to catch up with her, but Barriss was running full-tilt with the aid of the Force, navigating the dense forests of Denalia Prime as quick as possible.

The numerous rock formations and trees the size of buildings were nothing but dark blurs amidst her as she ran. Barriss was taking as straight of a path as she could to where the Force was guiding her. A branch caught her blue cloak and ripped it away from her and she barely even noticed. The chill of the coming night, the sounds of nocturnal predators waking up and the dampness of the forest were all discarded from her awareness. She was going to find Ahsoka. The Force bound them together and provided Barriss with a beacon to find her friend. The Force can be interpreted in many ways and Barriss was sensing a lot, but one thing was for certain; Ahsoka was in danger.

Not too far into her twilight sprint, Barriss spotted a red flare shooting up amidst the trees in the distance. She was getting close! Underneath the red glow stood Captain Rex. Seeing him standing seemingly in one piece gave Barriss some cause for hope, but questions began to arise as she ran closer. Rex stood alone with no escape pod or anyone else near him. Barriss sensed danger and hastened her approach. She didn't even realize that she was using the Force to run faster until she came to an abrupt stop a few steps away from Rex. A gust of wind made from her own turbulence quickly caught up to her and made Rex stagger as it plowed through. Before Rex could say anything, Barriss began unleashing her questions amidst gasping for air due to exhaustion. "Where's Ashoka? Where's your pod? Did you land safely?"

"Sir…" Rex began. He waited a moment for her to catch her breath and then continued. "I'm glad you found us quickly. Please follow me." Rex then proceeded to walk around a nearby rock formation. The protruding pale red stones gave way to a small cave. Barriss was on his heels as he entered first. For a moment, the cave was completely dark, but after a few uncertain steps, a lit area could be seen further in. As soon as Barriss spotted another clone, she passed Rex and briskly walked into the large opening. Sure enough, Dura and Tup were waiting for her alongside Ahsoka. The rusty red, small cave opened up to a sizeable room with a few small stalactites and stalagmites. A few yellow glow sticks that the clones had tossed out gave the cave an orange look to it. Unlike the clones who stood seemingly fine, Ahsoka was lying down and appeared to be unconscious.

Barriss didn't take any time to ask what had happened. Ahsoka was hurt and Barriss rushed in to help her friend. She pushed Dura aside and knelt down by Ahsoka to begin examining any wounds. The damage was extensive. Ahsoka's left arm was broken in three places, both legs were broken and there appeared to be some internal damage as well. Most noticeably, there was a metal rod, escape pod debris of some sort, that had impaled Ahsoka's right leg all of the way through. She was breathing, but barely. There was little time. The leg wound was bleeding badly and Ahsoka only had minutes left.

Questions could come later. Barriss was completely focused on what needed done and she was glad that Ahsoka would be unconscious for it. She untied the field tourniquet that Dura had tied around Ahsoka's leg and pulled out the shrapnel as gently but more so quickly as she could. Ahsoka's wound was bleeding even more with the metal rod removed and her normally bright orange skin was turning a level of pale that truly scared Barriss. She placed her hands directly on Ahsoka's leg and began using her Force healing abilities to close the wound.

A few very precious minutes went by and Ahsoka was still bleeding. The puddle beneath her was still growing and Barriss' hands were turning red as blood kept pushing up through her fingers. Rex, Tup and Dura were clenching their teeth and beginning to sweat in fear of the worst. Tup didn't help matters when he verbalized their fears. "She's not going to make it…" The clone said in a tone that sounded like an admission of defeat. The clones all looked at each other for some comfort but there wasn't any to be had. They all were facing that devastation.

Barriss' brow furled even more and the wisps of blue and white light from her Force healing grew in intensity. She looked to the unconscious Togruta girl's face. "You refused to let me die. I'm not going to let you die either!"

Her adamant declaration seemed to do the trick. Just a minute or so afterwards, the bleeding waned away and the wound finally closed. The blue and white mystical wisps of the Force receded back to Barriss' palms before vanishing completely. Barriss kept her hands on Ahsoka's leg for a moment longer though. She'd at that moment realized just how much she was tensing all of her muscles and holding her breath while healing Ahsoka's leg wound. Despite her own weary feelings and sensations, there was still a lot of work to be done. So, Barriss steadied herself, kneeling next to Ahsoka, and held out her hands over Ahsoka's torso to begin working on the internal injuries.

The clones watched in amazement as blue wisps of light stretched out from her hands and encompassed Ahsoka. The wisps grew brighter and more plentiful as Barriss put more and more energy into the healing session. Her arms and shoulders were shaking from the effort, but she wouldn't falter. It was a long period of silence as Ahsoka's body began to slowly heal. No one said anything. It was as if everyone was holding their breath to see if Ahsoka was going to recover or not.

Nearly half an hour went by and Barriss was still focusing on Ahsoka's internal injuries. There was so much to repair. The silence was broken as Jesse, Gree and Hardcase came into the cave, escorted by Rex. They were panting heavily from being out of breath. They had ran over to the cave as soon as they saw Rex's flare. Jesse was about to shout at Barriss for leaving them behind. He had an entire rant ready. He only took a breath to begin before the rant completely vanished from his mind. Jesse's eyes locked on Barriss as she was healing Ahsoka and suddenly realized the reasons behind Barriss' actions.

After taking a moment to catch his breath finally, he slowly approached the focused Mirialan girl. Ahsoka's internal injuries were nearly healed, but her bones were still broken; visibly and graphically broken. Being a medic, Jesse examined her while being very careful to not get in Barriss' way. He'd seen these sorts of injuries before in pilots who crashed but survived. At least, they survived for a little while. Despite all of his knowledge and equipment, he knew he wasn't able to save Ahsoka. Barriss was doing the impossible right before his eyes and he began to see Barriss in an entirely different way. The blue wisps of light were like miracles taken tangible form.

Jesse felt helpless. He opened up his field medic pack and pulled out a pack of bacta. Careful not to get in Barriss' way, he hooked it up to Ahsoka's right arm. A Force healing session was not a 'cure all.' It would stabilize Ahsoka and reconstruct anything damaged, but it wouldn't relieve Ahsoka's body of the trauma it had endured. The bacta would help ease the trauma of resetting broken bones. At least Ahsoka would have a little comfort in the red stone cave that they were residing in. Providing Ahsoka with some comfort helped a little, but Jesse still felt useless as the medic in the group. Knowing that all he could do was watch, he turned to Rex. "What happened? Not that I'm complaining, but how are you three fine while the Commander is this badly wounded?" Hardcase turned to Rex with the same helpless look on his face.

"You saw our pod. We were ballistic," Rex began. "Tup tried to get the engines firing again but it was no use. Ahsoka did everything she could to control our descent, but we were falling too fast. In the last moments before impact…" Rex trailed off as if he was at a loss for words.

Dura finished simply. "She saved us." Hardcase and Jesse turned towards the more emotionally raw 501st trooper in the group. "She gave up on the pod and put everything she had into keeping us in one piece as the pod crashed. She didn't spare anything for herself." The clones stood in silence around Ahsoka and Barriss for another long moment. Dura was always more compassionate and the first to acknowledge someone else's heroic deeds, but Tup's and Rex's expressions confirmed his testimony. By all rights, Ahsoka shouldn't have even survived considering her actions. A single tear trickled down Barriss' face as she continued to put everything into the healing session. She couldn't get over it; there was so much to repair. Ahsoka must've had such an ironclad will to live that the Force itself had kept her alive until Barriss arrived.


	3. Chapter 3

**Mission to Denalia Prime  
Chapter III**

It was turning into a bittersweet scene as the clones marveled over the Jedi Padawan's selfless heroics, but it all came into a very raw moment when Ahsoka's eyes snapped open. "AHHHHHEH!" She screeched in pain. Barriss had finished repairing Ahsoka's internal injuries and with that she regained consciousness, but her bones and abrasions still required a lot of healing. Confused and overwhelmed, Ahsoka tried to move which only made the pain that much worse.

"Hardcase, hold her steady!" Barriss ordered with as much assertiveness and compassion as she could muster. She then turned her attention to Ahsoka and grabbed the sides of the frightened Togruta's face with both hands. "Ahsoka, look at me! Look at me! Listen to my voice. You are safe. You are in a safe place, but you are badly wounded. Try to stay calm and let me heal you." Barriss' sapphire blue eyes were all Ahsoka could see. Their faces were so close that their noses were nearly touching. After a moment more of confusion and terrible pain, the deep blues and sparkling serenity of Barriss' gaze began to calm the storm in Ahsoka's mind. Barriss placed one of her hands on the center of Ahsoka's chest and began guiding Ahsoka to match her breathing, deep and slow.

A small grin crept on Ahsoka's face. She tried to speak, but it was clearly painful for her. "And here I thought I was coming along on this mission to watch your back."

Barriss smiled gently and leaned back slightly to see Ahsoka's entire face. "At least your sense of humor survived in one piece. Try not to speak. You need your strength and this is going to take some time."

Ahsoka's eyes began searching the room almost sporadically. Her mind was clearly not set on staying put. "The mission… Master Luminara… How long…"

Barriss reasserted her hands on either side of Ahsoka's face gently to obtain Ahsoka's attention once more. "Everything is going to be fine. Right now, we need to focus on you getting well again. Trust me, and try to relax. Trust me…" Barriss' voice was always a comfort for Ahsoka and it even worked in that cave. Despite the pain, Ahsoka relaxed as much as she could.

Once Ahsoka was calmed down, Barriss finally leaned back away from Ahsoka and looked to Hardcase. "Hold her arms. This will be difficult to endure." Hardcase repositioned himself to be kneeling opposite of Barriss and holding Ahsoka's arms. They were broken, so he more so placed his hands as barriers to prohibit movement rather than assert a tight grip. Barriss turned around to Jesse who was beginning to drown in regret for all of his hostilities he had displayed towards her. "Jesse, would you please help me?"

Jesse was a bit taken aback by the request. Compared to her healing powers, he felt quite inferior. He wasn't sure if she really needed his help or if this was some sort of bonding thing that Barriss was attempting, but he obliged anyways and knelt down beside her with a face of inquiry and intrigue. Barriss motioned to Ahsoka's legs as she spoke. "I can heal the breaks, but it would be a lot easier on Ahsoka if you had something to dull the pain." She did indeed need his help and he was happy to aid in Ahsoka's medical care. Amongst all of the brothers of the 501st, Ahsoka was their sister.

After introducing a sedative through the bacta pack to help relax Ahsoka, Jesse turned to Barriss for further instruction. Their relationship was changing by the minute with Jesse's newfound respect for Barriss. Ahsoka was still awake, but in a far more relaxed state. Barriss leaned in close to Ahsoka again. "I'm going to work on your legs first and then your arms. This will still hurt, but try to remain still." Ahsoka made a soft grunting noise in compliance. Between all of the different stimuli, Ahsoka was simply overwhelmed to the point of emotional, cognitive, and physical collapse. Barriss turned back to Jesse. "Try to hold the bones in place. They will set and heal much easier with your guidance."

It was a team effort. Once again, blue wisps of light flew from Barriss' hands and caressed Ahsoka's body. Jesse could feel Ahsoka's bones shifting and healing under his hands at a miraculous rate. Ahsoka grunted and groaned at the sensation. It was painful, but Jesse's sedatives worked well in taking the edge off.

Finally, Jesse, Hardcase, Tup, Dura and Rex could see what kind of person Barriss Offee really was. Her body was shaking all over from the strain and focus that she was putting into the healing session. Every action that she had done was for others, not herself. Even after the clones had made it perfectly clear that they didn't trust or respect her, she still showed them nothing but kindness and respect. Amidst the blue and white wisps of Barriss' Force healing, Jesse looked up at Barriss. "I'm sorry."

Hardcase looked up to make eye contact with Barriss as well. "I'm sorry too."

Barriss kept her eyes on Ahsoka's. "There's nothing to be sorry for." Her hands moved higher and Jesse's followed suit as they began working on Ahsoka's arms. The clones wanted to push their apologies, but they could see in Barriss' eyes that there was no resentment or negative feeling left. She had already forgiven them for everything.

Rex and Gree stood outside the cave keeping guard as the healing session finished. They debriefed each other on what had happened since they launched the escape pods from the Tranquility. Such a violent battle raged above, but from the surface, it was only faint flashes of light and rumbles of thunder. When the two clones heard a groaning sigh sounding like it came from Barriss, they both reentered the cave to see what was going on. The healing was finally finished. Barriss was still kneeling beside Ahsoka, but with a hand on the ground to steady herself and her other hand on her forehead. She wavered for a moment and then fell completely to the cave floor beside Ahsoka. Barriss had fainted from overexertion.

Ahsoka was awake and finally recovered from the crash, but still very weak. It was time for the bacta to kick in fully and restore her body's strength. To be healed that extensively took its toll and it would be a while longer before she'd be ready to move. Rex spoke up as Jesse and Hardcase rose to their feet. "It's good to see you back in shape, Sir. Commander Offee…" He gestured over to the sleeping Mirialan girl laying beside Ahsoka. Rex had the same questioning look as Jesse and Hardcase. They weren't sure whether to let Barriss sleep there or try to assemble and move out.

Ahsoka smiled gently under tired eyes. "I don't think we're going anywhere just yet." She turned her head to look at Barriss. "I think she has the right idea. Let's head out first thing tomorrow morning."

"I'll take first watch." Jesse spoke up before Rex or Gree could respond. He pulled a small thermolantern from his kit and activated it, setting it by the Padawans to keep them warm through the night.

Hardcase reached into his field pack. Amidst his usual personal arsenal of 'things that went boom,' he grabbed Barriss' cloak that got caught on a branch as she was running earlier. With a few shakes, he spread it out to its full size and draped it over Barriss and Ahsoka to provide some additional comfort. "I'll take second watch."

Thanks to his talk with Gree, Rex understood the clones' eagerness to do right by Barriss and didn't see a need to refuse. He looked to the others. "Anyone interested in taking the wakeup call?"

Dura stepped forward. "I'll take the last shift. I've always been a light sleeper anyways."

Rex nodded in agreement and then turned to Tup and Gree. "Let's set up camp and get some rest. There's no telling how far we're going to be walking tomorrow."

Ahsoka, seeing Jesse's and Hardase's change of heart, smiled and closed her eyes. The worst of the mission seemed to be behind them. She drifted quickly into a serene sleep next to her savior and best friend, Barriss.

* * *

The day/night cycle was fast on Denalia Prime. The sun began to rise in the middle of Hardcase's night watch. Judging by when they arrived on the planet, during sunset, the days and nights seemed to be roughly half the length of Coruscant's. The planet's timetable aside, the clones and two Jedi Padawans were operating on GST (galactic standard time). Barriss and Ahsoka especially needed a full night's rest. So, Hardcase chose to ignore the change of day on the planet and let everyone continue sleeping.

The sun rose quickly, revealing much more detail in their surroundings. One of the first, more noticeable things to present itself were the harsh shadows that were being cast all over the rust-colored ground. The clones knew that the soil was fairly soft, almost like snow, but didn't think much of it. Their footprints from the previous night were all around the entrance to the cave. The untouched areas though were quite peculiar. The entire ground as far as Hardcase could see was littered with small divots. He investigated a few, looking for a cause. Perhaps the ground was honeycombed by small animals that lived underground, coming up at some point.

The few theories that Hardcase could come up with were quickly discarded as the creators of the divots came into view. The orange sunlight rose higher into a yellowish hue revealing more of the forests' interior. In the distance, Hardcase saw something much larger than himself making its way between the trees towards him. Six massive legs, each ending in a sharp point, were rhythmically striking the ground in steady approach; an acklay. Three more behind it followed closely. Each of them were easily the size of an AT-TE walker and their ominous cries managed to even pierce Hardcase's resolve, injecting the seeds of fear.

Hardcase ran back into the cave to wake the troopers and Jedi. There was no way he could hope to play 'one man army' against those creatures. Their exoskeleton bodies could take a lot of punishment from blasterfire before wavering. Rex and the others snapped up with battle-hardened reflexes. All they needed to hear was the word 'acklay' and they didn't need to know anything more. Barriss woke, but did not get up. She was still quite weak and Ahsoka was still passed out. With no time to wait for Barriss to get her bearings, Rex ordered the clones to defensive positions. Ahsoka was priority one for all of them to defend. Without vehicles, they couldn't hope to retreat. Jesse quickly pulled a stim out of his medpack and injected it into Barriss' arm. It would take a few minutes, but it would launch Barriss' recovery and get her ready to fight… hopefully in time to aid the clones.

Tup, Dura, Jesse, Hardcase, Gree and Rex all positioned themselves in a horseshoe formation just ahead of the cave's entrance. The acklay were walking slowly but steadily towards them at an ominous pace. Their razor ivory teeth glinted in the rising sun like wicked grins on malevolent, three-eyed demons. Massive green and brown crustaceans, they crept ever closer. The largest one in the lead raised its head and shrieked at the clones as it came into blaster range. The clones had unwittingly made camp in their territory apparently. Their pace remained constant as the acklay arched their necks and cried out to the clones.

Rex spoke softly to his brothers. "No matter what happens, we hold this line. We hold!" All of their blasters were trained on the lead acklay and their fingers were on the triggers. The clones waited for the acklay to make the first move. At least, that was the plan. Hardcase had had enough of their taunts. He gave into his trigger-happy tendencies and opened a barrage of laserfire on the lead acklay. Rex shouted at him, but it was too late. The assault hardly made any impact aside from making the lead acklay very angry, throwing it into a charge. Tup and Dura were shocked by the lack of any impact from direct shots, but quickly joined the rest of the clones in unleashing all that they had at their rampaging attacker. The other three acklay continued their slower pace as if they knew that they weren't needed in this fight.

Unlike the rest of his brothers, Captain Rex was not shouting and shooting wildly at the acklay. He stood his ground and trained his pistols on the acklay. He waited until there were only a few meters between him and the rampaging beast. Rex shouted while keeping his eyes on the creature. "Cease fire!" A few of them followed the order, but a couple of them kept firing in panic. "I said cease fire!" With only a second before the acklay would knock Rex to the dirt, the clones all followed the order. In that severely brief moment, there was no shouting, no blasterfire, no sound or movement. There was just Rex, the acklay, and the sharp tip of its forward left leg hurtling towards him. He fired his first shot.

The acklay stumbled past him and fell to the ground. The other clones marveled for a moment at the expert shot to the acklay's center eye and the calm Rex demonstrated in the heat of the moment. The stirs of victory were short lived though as the other three acklay all screeched and cried in disbelief and anger. More acklay could be heard in the distance as well. It wasn't just a battle cry. The three remaining acklay were calling to others. Rex went around behind the dead acklay and motioned the other troopers to help him. They pitched the wide and flat body of the dead acklay up on its side to use it as cover. At the very least, it would narrow the range of angles from which the remaining acklay could attack from. There was only five meters between the clones and the cave entrance as the acklay began to charge.

From inside, Barriss heard the firing and felt the tremor of the first acklay being shot down. Finally alert and awake, she turned to Ahsoka. "Ahsoka! Get up!" She shook the unconscious Togruta beside her, but it was no use. With Ahsoka still out of commission, Barriss ignited her lightsaber and quickly made her way to the entrance of the cave. She would join in the defensive effort, but just before reaching the exit, the cave's only opening collapsed. Barriss nearly got caught in the cave in, but managed to leap back in time. "Commander Gree! Captain Rex!" Barriss tried reaching the clones on her wrist communicator, but there was no answer.

She could still hear fighting from the other side of the stones. Barriss made a few efforts to use the Force and clear away enough rubble to get through to the outside, but every attempt brought down more of the cave. Listening again, Barriss could hear the clones fighting the creatures and a few of Hardcase's explosives going off far too closely. In a last ditch effort to make it to them, Barriss took her lightsaber and tried to cut her way through the rubble. In the middle of her cutting, a deep and harsh percussive sound bellowed from the outside that shook the ground violently. Barriss could hear more of the cave above her and behind her crumbling. She retrieved her lightsaber's blade as quickly as she could, but it was delay enough for the cave.

Stalactites and chunks of the cave's ceiling gave way and fell all around her. Barriss looked back towards the area where Ahsoka was beginning to regain consciousness and could see the ceiling collapsing there as well. She launched herself towards Ahsoka, but a sizable boulder fell straight onto her left shoulder, throwing her to the ground. Another fell onto her right leg, pinning her down. Barriss kept her eyes on Ahsoka who managed to roll just in time to avoid a falling stalactite. Barriss tried with all of her might to pull herself free, but more of the cave was coming down on top of her. The sight of Ahsoka was becoming obscured and the cave was continuing to collapse. Barriss cried out in defiance. "Ahsoka!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Mission to Denalia Prime  
Chapter IV**

It was unclear how much time had passed; minutes, hours, or possibly days. Barriss coughed up a lot of dust and quickly realized her situation. She was still in the cave. Completely encased in rubble, she could hardly move. There was no light or sound. Her senses were incredibly alert to everything around her, but she was unable to do anything. It was a darkness all too similar to when she was under the control of a Geonosian brain worm. The more she struggled, the more trapped she felt and the space that she was in felt smaller and smaller. Her breathing was growing heavier despite not having much air available.

With the clones and Ahsoka likely dead, the sinking feeling of being alone was enough to spark a desperate panic in her heart. Barriss began to scream in terror. She swore she'd never be so helpless again and yet there she was; trapped in all but mind. The rubble closed in tighter around her as she continued her futile struggle. She tried reaching for her lightsaber, but she couldn't move her arms very much. After a few minutes, she finally calmed down into more of a defeated cry. The epitome of her fears was being realized and it would likely take her life.

Moment upon moment dragged through and passed her. Barriss' mind traveled to what wishes she had held and what moments she had greatest regret for. The sorrow of her train of thought lingered not on anything she had done, but rather all that she hadn't. A sudden recoil from the brink, Barriss' attention snapped back to the present when she heard the sounds of stones being moved. Someone was alive! She began screaming as loud as she could. "I'm here! Can anyone here me! Please! Help!" It was all she could get out before she had breathed in too much dirt and began coughing uncontrollably. Barriss used the Force to try and sense what was going on. She was completely disoriented as to where she was in the cave, but she could sense who was trying to dig her out. It was Ahsoka!

"Hang on, Barriss! I'll get you out!" Ahsoka shouted through the rubble. Barriss was still coughing violently as tears of joy began moistening the dirt and dust on her face. The sounds of rocks being moved were hastening and getting louder. Ahsoka was putting her all into freeing her friend. "Barriss, can you hear me? Help me find you!" Ahsoka shouted. Barriss finally got her coughs under control, but she couldn't hope to hold any sort of continued shouting. So, she closed her eyes and reached out with the Force. Her connection to Ahsoka was already strong and she tapped into it; giving Ahsoka a mental compass to help guide her digging.

The rocks began to feel lighter and moved easier around Barriss' body. Within moments, faint green light began to pierce the darkness that was enshrouding her. Finally, she could move her right arm and she reached out towards the light that crept in amidst the rocks. Ahsoka saw Barriss' hand and immediately grabbed it to pull her out. As Ahsoka pulled, Barriss used the Force as best she could to keep the rocks and debris from holding her down. It was a tough struggle, but with one great heave Ahsoka managed to pull Barriss out of the rocks and into what was left of the cave.

Ahsoka pulled with such intensity that Barriss practically flew out at Ahsoka and landed on top of her. They both coughed and gasped from the cloud of particulates that came out with Barriss and from the overexertion. Barriss and Ahsoka wrapped their arms around each other before they could even catch their breath. The two Padawans held each other for a long moment. There were no words, just joy that they were both alive and together again.

Barriss was first to realize the potential awkwardness of their positions and rolled off of Ahsoka onto the ground. She looked over at the light to see that it was Ahsoka's lightsaber, ignited and wedged between a few rocks as a makeshift lantern. Jesse's thermolantern appeared undamaged but burnt out. At the very least, some considerable time had passed since the cave in. Ahsoka turned over on her side to look Barriss over for any severe injuries. Barriss was definitely bruised and scraped up plenty, but nothing severe was apparent. With that sigh of relief, Ahsoka broke the silence. "Buried together again. If we're developing a pattern here, let's steer clear of Geonosis." Though the humor did cause unpleasant recollection, it worked to lighten the mood. Barriss smiled softly at her ever-optimistic friend.

After thinking for a moment, she came up with a reply. "I can't agree more. Twice was enough for me. I have no desire to see that dust ball a third time."

"Twice?" Ahsoka asked. "When were you there before?"

"I figured your master would've mentioned it," Barriss replied. "My master and I were part of the Jedi task force sent to rescue Master Skywalker, Master Kenobi and Senator Amidala in what became the first battle of the Clone Wars."

"Whoa…" Ahsoka was surprised and also realized just how much she didn't know about her friend. "What was it like?"

Barriss sat up and checked to make sure she was able and unharmed enough to stand up. "Perhaps that's a story for another time. We need to get out of here and I have a feeling that our masters aren't going to dig us out this time." She stood up and ignited her lightsaber for some more light. "Any ideas?"

Ahsoka looked up at their cave ceiling. "Well, there's about twenty meters between us and the surface. This cave goes down even further, but I doubt we'd have much luck finding an exit anywhere." They both looked around and at each other for a bit. "We don't even know what's going on topside or why the cave collapsed in the first place. We could use some intel." She activated her communicator and tried to call Rex, or any of the clones for that matter, but there was no response.

"We're probably too deep underground," Barriss suggested. She didn't want to even consider the possibility that the clones had been killed. Barriss cocked her head to one side curiously as she saw Ahsoka pushing against the walls suddenly. "What exactly are you doing, Ahsoka?"

"Looking for some soft spots." Ahsoka answered as she kept making her way along the walls. Barriss continued her questioning look hoping for further explanation. After Ahsoka finished and sighed in disappointment, she turned back to her Mirialan friend. "I don't have ears like you. I have montrals. I hear by picking up vibrations. If I can stick my montrals into the walls a little bit, I might be able to pick up what's going on above us; maybe figure out if anyone is digging for us."

"Brilliant." Barriss commented half sarcastically and half seriously. She looked up again and noticed an area of the cave ceiling where some stalactites had previously fallen from. Their fall had revealed a layer of clay in the ground above. Barriss turned back to Ahsoka with a smile and pointed her lightsaber up at the clay. Ahsoka looked up, looked at Barriss, looked up again, and then finally understood. "Need a boost?"

Moments later, the two Jedi were employing their Force-enhanced acrobatic skills allowing Ahsoka to stand tall on Barriss' shoulders. Ahsoka was trying to get just a little taller to reach the clay with her montrals. "Barriss, I need to get a little bit higher."

"This would be a lot easier if I didn't hurt all over." Barriss growled playfully. With a wince of pain in her face, she straightened her back allowing Ahsoka to bury her horns.

"Hey, at least I'm not a Hutt!" Ahsoka retorted. Barriss knew to stay quiet so that Ahsoka could listen. That Togruta Padawan would fight for the last word anyways. So, Barriss kept her comeback in her thoughts. 'Even as a Hutt, I'm sure you'd manage to be just as cute and impossible to say 'no' to.' Barriss smiled as she continued the playful banter back and forth in her mind. After a short moment, a very grim Ahsoka spoke up. "Let me down, Barriss."

Ahsoka lowered herself down off of Barriss' shoulders and continued descending to sitting on the ground. Slightly confused, Barriss sat down next to her. The green and blue glows of their lightsabers propped up in the ground did little to hide the lamenting face that Ahsoka was expressing. "Nothing." She said finally. "I didn't hear anything. No clones, no creatures and no movement of any kind. We're either impossibly deeper underground than we think, or the clones… aren't there."

The concern for Rex, Tup and the rest of the clones was eating away at Ahsoka, and Barriss could sense it very strongly. So, she put on a brave smile. "The ground up there is very soft, possibly enough so to dampen any vibrations you would've otherwise heard. The only way to know for certain is to get out of here. We can't go up and we can't go through, so we have to go down."

"You sound so sure we'll get out this time," Ahsoka said while continuing to look down.

"You were annoyingly optimistic last time we were buried together. I'm just taking my turn. Come on." Barriss stood up and offered her hand to help Ahsoka to her feet. After a moment of trying and failing to think of a clever comeback, Ahsoka looked up and returned Barriss' smile. She took Barriss' hand, stood up and used the Force to call her lightsaber to her as Barriss did for hers. They turned to the narrow corridor behind them that went downward and took a deep breath, steeling themselves to hope. Barriss and Ahsoka took a few steps towards the corridor. It was narrow enough that it would've been more comfortable to walk single file, but when Ahsoka tried to let go of Barriss' hand, she found herself locked in the Mirialan girl's grasp. Barriss spoke softly but assertively. "I don't like cramped spaces." Barriss had a look that told Ahsoka not to address the issue further.

Ahsoka turned to face Barriss and hugged her tightly. "If any more of this cave comes down, we get buried together or not at all, deal?"

Without letting go, Barriss whispered through a smile of relief. "Deal."

* * *

The cave wasn't a labyrinth like the Padawans feared. Instead, the small veining corridor that they were walking down just kept descending and twisting into the earth. After a few long moments of echoing footsteps, a small, trickling stream of water joined them along the rocky floor. It was becoming clear that the cave was being slowly carved out by an underground river whenever it gained enough pressure to push through faults and cracks to the surface. The lower Barriss and Ahsoka descended, the louder the water became.

Soon enough, the roar of running water was loud enough for Ahsoka to start holding her sensitive montrals. "Are you alright?" Barriss shouted over the sound of rapid water.

"Yes and no." Ahsoka shouted back. "There can't be much more tunnel before we find the opening to the river that this little stream is leading to."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Barriss asked.

"The river has to lead somewhere, but it sounds like it's too fast and violent for us to travel safely." Ahsoka answered. Her grip on her montrals was getting tighter. She'd holstered her lightsaber in favor of buffering the sound of the running water. Barriss walked close behind with her lightsaber still lit for light, but it wasn't much in the cramped passageway. Unfortunately, Ahsoka's grip on her montrals made her off-balance as she walked and she didn't see that the flowing stream along the ground was getting wider and filling the floor.

Ahsoka also didn't see that the ground suddenly fell to a steeper slope and that was all it took to send her forward and into a hastened slide! "Ahsoka!" Barriss shouted as her dim sight of the Togruta girl quickly vanished into the darkness and the roaring sound of water rapids. Acting on instinct, Barriss quickly holstered her lightsaber and leapt into a slide after Ahsoka. It was manageable with Ahsoka close by, but now in the dark with deafening sound and unforeseeable danger, Barriss was quickly becoming the helpless one. She grunted and screamed as she was hit with unexpected turns in the rocky waterslide.

Ahsoka was more accustomed to improvisation and had learned to rely more on instinct than careful planning. She used the Force to help guide and slow her descent. With one, brief window of opportunity, she sensed a quick drop right before she would plunge into the underground river. At the perfect moment, Ahsoka threw out her limbs to catch the walls and stop her from diving into the water. She could hear Barriss panicking and approaching rapidly. She shouted back. "Barriss! Use the Force and slow yourself! You're going to – Grahh!" Barriss had caught up to Ahsoka and slammed into her, knocking them both into the underground river.

Somehow, despite confusion of no sight, barely any hearing, and the tossing about of the rushing water, Barriss and Ahsoka managed to hold on to each other. They used the Force to sense when they had opportunities to come up for air safely. The Force guided them through the rapids and they had to trust it completely to take care of them. It went on and on. For too long, they were barely surviving; unsure if every breath would be their last. They were thrown about with no light or orientation to guide them. All they had was the water's fierce current, the Force, and the unshakeable grip on each other. Barriss had theorized that the cave was a secondary outlet for the river and that it flowed onward to another opening in the surface. That hope was all that they had.

Their hope was rewarded. With a sudden breach of sunlight amidst water rapids' foam and splash, Barriss and Ahsoka breathed the fresh air again. They felt the riverbed recede to a shallower course and used all of the energy that they had left to push themselves out of the river to one side and collapsed on the shore. Greens, reds, blues and all sorts of colors; they could see again. The call of birds and other forest creatures graced their ears in welcome. Ahsoka and Barriss coughed up what felt like half of the water on the planet and happily caught their breath. They were still holding on to one another and it took a long moment to let go.

What surrounded them didn't matter. Where they were didn't matter. Their eyes were locked on each other. Once they had caught their breath, Ahsoka cracked a smile. "I think I prefer our masters digging us out."

Barriss giggled a little and added to the understatement. "Live and learn." She smiled softly and loosened her grip on Ahsoka's hands into more of a comfortable grasp. "I think I'll be keeping a rebreather with me wherever I go from now on."

"Seconded," Ahsoka agreed. "I don't think I'll ever admit it to him, but Master Kenobi's lectures about being prepared for anything are starting to make a lot of sense." She let go of one of Barriss' hands and rolled over onto her back. Her eyes immediately focused on a spear's tip that was only centimeters away from her face, held by someone standing beside her. "Unbelievable," she sighed. "Being prepared would be a nice change of pace right about now."


	5. Chapter 5

**Mission to Denalia Prime  
Chapter V**

Barriss Offee looked around to see that they were surrounded by spearmen. Nearly a dozen cat-like men with spears were all in striking or throwing stances around the Padawans with a few holding spears very close to the Padawans' faces. Ahsoka started reaching for her lightsaber as subtle as possible, but Barriss motioned her to stop. "Ahsoka, I think they're more afraid of us than we are of them." The men stood ready to attack, but didn't move. They waited to see what the Padawans would do. Barriss, with a spear held uncomfortably close to her face, rolled over slowly to sit up on her knees and looked at the warrior who appeared to be the leader. "Do you speak the common tongue? … Tsihila mist bital? … Brast vae oomvae emapar krei?"

"We speak." The warrior said simply.

"How many languages do you speak?" Ahsoka amusingly whispered to Barriss.

"Not now, Ahsoka!" Barriss whispered back. She turned her attention quickly back to the cat-like man holding a spear to her face. "Are you the Denali?"

"We Denali. Who you?" The warrior did not look like he was in a talkative mood. "How you survive Karva?"

"Jedi." Barriss said simply, hopefully answering the first question and not having a clue what 'Karva' was. "We are Jedi... Galactic Republic... Emissaries."

A few of the other warriors started saying the word 'Jedi' to each other in a sort of questioning and marveling way. The leader lifted his spear to a resting position and the others followed suit. "Come, Jedi. Ayak! Ayak!" With an odd-sounding call, a stomping sound started and quickly grew louder. Seemingly out of nowhere between the trees emerged several acklay. Far more surprising was that there were Denali warriors riding them! The acklay had large, flat saddles on their backs and simple, leather harnesses with reins leading from their necks to their masters.

Ahsoka and Barriss were beside themselves in shock simply staring at the massive beasts. The warriors tossed their spears up to the beastmasters to be secured in the saddles. Then, with a simple command from the leader of the group, all five acklay present lowered their bodies to the ground to let everyone climb aboard. A few of the warriors started laughing at the Padawans' dumbfounded expressions. The laughter shook Ahsoka's and Barriss' attention though and they proceeded cautiously to join the leader on his acklay. As they approached, Ahsoka whispered to Barriss. "Domesticated acklay? I'm officially impressed."

Barriss climbed up onto the saddle first and turned to give Ahsoka a hand. Her hand waited in full extension for a long moment without Ahsoka noticing. The Togruta Padawan was in awe of such wild and powerful creatures being so calm and compliant. She reached out her hand to stroke the neck of the acklay and it quickly turned its head away with a disapproving screech. Ahsoka looked to the beastmaster Denali holding the reins with a confused look. He motioned for her to get on board while he explained. "Respect first. Trust later."

Ahsoka finally saw Barriss' hand offering assistance into the saddle at the end of an arm that was getting rather tired. Barriss maintained a pleasant smile though. Her mind buzzing with questions, Ahsoka took her friend's hand and sat down in the back of the saddle. The leader of the warriors sitting in front of them called out another strange word. All of the acklay stood up and began walking in single file. The beastmastery demonstrated by the Denali was beyond impressive. Barriss made herself comfortable on the saddle and turned to Ahsoka. "I thought I had my fill of novel experiences for this mission, but this isn't so bad."

"I must learn how they tamed these!" Ahsoka excitedly declared. Her eyes were shooting back and forth, all around the other acklay in line behind them, the design of the harnesses, and everything else.

"I didn't know you had such an interest in beastmastery, or is it just the acklay?" Barriss asked with a slightly amused grin.

"I've always been curious…" Ahsoka started to answer as her gaze came back to meet Barriss' eyes. "Umm… you're hair doesn't like to get wet I take it?" She asked while trying to hold back a laugh. The summer sun, while already past its daily peak, was quickly drying the Padawans off after their river experience. Barriss had maintained her cloak and hood, but a sizeable bulge was slowly growing under the back of her hood. With nervous hands, Barriss reached back and finally noticed it. Her headsock was still on, but had been disheveled while in the river and her hair had become a chaotic mess as a result while drying.

"Just count yourself lucky that you don't have hair," Barriss said assertively trying to hide any embarrassment. She tried fixing her hair under her hood for a minute, but it was no use and her headsock was insanely uncomfortable after getting soaked. So, in an act of frustration and forfeit, she pulled her headsock off and a liberated mass of dark lavender hair threw her hood back. Ahsoka couldn't help but at least giggle at the sight. Barriss simply brooded in her defeat to hair care.

Ahsoka's laughter was enough to make the Denali leader turn around and see Barriss' situation. He smiled gently, taking a small strap from his wrist and giving it to Barriss to tie her hair back. She graciously accepted it. As Barriss tied her hair back in a short ponytail, Ahsoka got her giggles under control and tried to ease her friend's embarrassment. "I love your hair, actually. It makes you look more confident."

Barriss blushed a little, but smiled as Ahsoka took Barriss' hand in a reassuring grasp. "Well, it's certainly more difficult to manage than montrals and lekku."

"Maybe you can learn some tips from the Denali," Ahsoka suggested. They each then started looking around at their present company a bit closer. The Denali were similar in appearance to Cathar, another humanoid cat-like species, but the Denali seemed more animalistic. Their ears were larger, they had long and slender tails, and the biggest difference was their legs. They were digitigrades, meaning they walked on their toes much like four-legged animals.

Barriss finished tying her hair back and pulled her hood back up. Ahsoka frowned at the act of modesty, but Barriss squinted a little glare with a stubborn look. It was a debate they'd had before and Ahsoka always lost. Accepting defeat, she looked back at the acklay and the Denali. That's when she noticed something very out of place. One of the warriors riding the acklay behind Ahsoka's had something odd on his arm. She squeezed Barriss' hand to get her attention and they both looked back closely at the Denali warrior. He was wearing a clone's left arm bracer! The two girls looked at each other with mixed expressions of shock, fear, and a massive amount of questions.

With a fair amount of trepidation, Barriss turned to the Denali leader sitting in front of her. "Pardon me, but where are we going?"

"To Denali tribe. Chief there. You talk to Chief." The leader responded without looking back at them.

"We came here with a small group. Where are our companions?" Ahsoka asked a little too assertively.

Their acklay cried out a little and almost tipped their saddle for a moment. The Denali leader snapped his head back around to glare at Ahsoka. His voice was hard and stern. "No more talk. Respect muvra with silence. You talk to Chief." He snapped his head back around to face forward. Ahsoka bit her lip as she got ready to verbally assault the leader, but Barriss knew that look all too well and rested her hand on Ahsoka's shoulder. Ahsoka glared with fear and frustration at Barriss, but Barriss' face was calm and understanding. She raised her olive-colored index finger to her purple lips motioning for Ahsoka to stay quiet. Once Ahsoka was in a more compliant state, Barriss motioned for Ahsoka to look around.

No one was talking. It was a five-acklay convoy hosting about twenty people and not a word was being spoken. When the leader said 'muvra,' he motioned to the acklay. Maybe the Denali called them muvras, but it was clear that Barriss and Ahsoka were on an alien world, dealing with a culture they didn't fully understand, and riding creatures that they thought couldn't be domesticated. So, they would stay quiet and play it safe. Barriss focused on observing and learning as much as she could while Ahsoka, impatiently brooding, waited for her chance to 'talk to Chief.' One thing was for certain though; she was going to get some answers for what happened to the Clones.

* * *

As the Padawans slowly rode acklays to a Denali settlement, the space battle above was raging on and lasting far longer than Jedi Master Luminara Unduli had anticipated. Her flagship venator cruiser, the Tranquility, had suffered severe damage covering the Padawan's launch to the planet below and the droid fighters were preventing any assault on the Separatist frigates. While the other two venators remained strong enough to continue fighting, The Tranquility had been mostly disabled and Luminara was considering giving the order to abandon ship. She stood with the helmsman trying to make a tactical retreat behind her escort cruisers when Admiral Hodgens called over to her. "General! Three more enemy frigates just came out of hyperspace and joined the battle!"

Luminara looked out her command bridge to see the daunting Separatist navy descending upon them with new and greater strength. The clones and officers looked to her for revised orders, but she was silent. Luminara almost looked as if she was almost oblivious to the world around her. It was her thinking face, but the clones thought it was shock. Admiral Hodgens came face to face with her to try and break her trance. "General, we need to consider making a tactical retreat. At best, this battle just became a stalemate where neither side walks away."

The bridge was silent aside from the dampened echoes of turbolaser fire and explosions. "No," Luminara said simply without breaking her train of thought.

"But, General Unduli, we-" Hodgens was ready to argue his way through a Jedi's resolve, but she cut him off."

"We don't need to retreat," Luminara began. "We don't need to keep fighting either. We need to end this fight now." She walked back over to the helmsman. "Prepare to jump to hyperspace."

Confused, but trusting, Admiral Hodgens approached the Mirialan Jedi Master again. "General, would you care to fill me in on what it is you're doing?"

"I can do or I can teach. Which would you prefer?" Luminara asked bluntly without turning to the young admiral. She then raised a hand and pointed out the forward windows of the command bridge. "Perhaps those hyena bombers heading for our bridge will help you decide."

The admiral stepped back and did not speak again. All of the bridge crews' attention were on those bombers. All they could do was watch as the clone fighters were desperately trying to shoot the bombers down and failing. It was the deep breath before the plunge. With only the infinitely long seconds left before the bombers would unleash their payload and effectively eliminate the Tranquility, blue streaks of light shot forward all around the ship. They had jumped to hyperspace.

* * *

Below on the planet's surface, Clone Captain Rex watched the battle rage on through long range binoculars. He witnessed the Tranquility's escape and the rest of the fleet quickly following suit. With a long sigh, he lowered his binoculars. His brothers sitting all around him were silent but eager to learn what was going on above. Rex observed the large, wooden cage that they were imprisoned in and then looked to the Clones. "It looks like our situation is about to get even worse," he addressed them somberly.

"What's going on up there?" Commander Gree asked.

"General Unduli's fleet just retreated," Rex answered. The Clones began raining questions upon him, but he just kept his calm tone. "It was for the best. The Tranquility was severely damaged. I'm surprised they were even able to jump to hyperspace. The clankers got reinforcements and our fleet was outmatched. Seps control the space above the planet now. It's only a matter of time before they start landing their troops."

The identical voices of the Clones all fell silent. They were captured, their weapons and armor were taken, and they had no clue whether or not Barriss Offee or Ahsoka Tano were even alive. Things were looking very bleak. Hardcase started mumbling on to Gree about plans of escape. Rex was assessing his options, as few as they were, in his usual calm and collected manner. Dura, Jesse and Tup were trying to find weak spots in their wooden cell.

Rex slowly raised his binoculars back up to watch the Separatist invasion force launch their landing craft, but stopped half way. He heard the ominous and then quite familiar sound of acklay stomping getting louder. When he turned to see the approaching giant crustaceans, a smirk graced his face for the first time in a long while. "I never thought I could ever be relieved to see an acklay walking towards me," he said more to himself than to anyone else. The Clones all looked in the same direction as him to witness more of the Denali, their captors, riding into camp on acklay. This time though, Ahsoka and Barriss were with them! "They made it," Rex said with relief.

The Clones started shouting cheers or trying to get Ahsoka's and Barriss' attention as the Padawans rode in, but the Denali guard outside their cell quickly silenced them with a few threats. Ahsoka's and Barriss' eyes lit up at sight of the Clones. "They're all here!" Ahsoka said excitedly to Barriss.

"Yes," Barriss replied solemnly, "but they're in a cage."

Ahsoka was done waiting. She placed an assertive hand on the Denali warrior leader's shoulder. "Alright, where's the chief?"

The Denali snapped his head around to glare at Ahsoka. His gaze was powerful and resolute. It was enough to shake Ahsoka's resolve and she removed her hand from his shoulder. Once she seemed more compliant, the Denali responded. "Chief here. Jedi wait for Chief."

Ahsoka growled a few things to herself. The Denali called out a few words and all of the acklay stopped and kneeled. The rocking of their saddle as the massive crustaceans kneeled shocked Barriss and Ahsoka back into the moment. They'd almost forgotten during their long ride how much of a marvel it was that they were riding on acklay. Ahsoka hopped down as soon as the acklay was done moving. She was very ready to put some distance between herself and the leader of the Denali warriors. She didn't forget about her companion though and turned back to offer Barriss a hand.

Barriss considered making Ahsoka wait like she made Barriss wait when they got on the acklay, but resisted the urge. It was nice enough that Ahsoka was being thoughtful and that wasn't worth spoiling with humorous pettiness. She took Ahsoka's hand and used her other hand to hike up her skirt as she got down. Graceful as usual, once Barriss was down, Ahsoka quickly pivoted around to the Clones and began marching towards them. A few Denali guards moved to intercept her path and held out their spears. Her patience finally abandoned her and she shouted large enough for the entire Denali camp to hear. "Where's Chief!? I want to talk to Chief!"

Barriss was about to try and hush her friend and possibly give a short lecture about patience, but was cut off when all of the acklay nearby started to screech and cry. A few of them even reared up on their hind legs. Many of the Denali started to run or try and calm the massive beasts, but the acklay didn't seem to be in any sort of obedient mood. Then, an older voice cut through the cries. "Denanda muudry muvra enkandi." The voice was calm, but projected greatly and all of the acklay calmed down in response. Ahsoka and Barriss turned in the direction of the voice to see an elderly Denali approaching them slowly. He used a staff to aid his walking and looked sternly at the Jedi intruders. "You… children… are Jedi?" He asked.

"Want some proof?" Ahsoka snapped back as she reached for her lightsaber.

Barriss quickly stopped Ahsoka from doing something potentially dangerous and certainly stupid. She spoke softly to Ahsoka. "Maybe I should handle this." Ahsoka glared into Barriss' eyes, but quickly became lost in them. Those eyes that reassured her and made her feel safe mere hours earlier when she was the closest to death she'd ever been filled her with understanding and serenity. She realized how much she was channeling the hot-headed nature of her master and humbly nodded. Barriss then turned to the chief. "We are Jedi. Emissaries for the Republic. The men that you've imprisoned are part of our group. Would you please release them?"

"The armored men are your group?" The Denali chief asked. "They come to our world with weapons. They come to destroy. They anger muvra greatly. They must stay skodilie."

"Skodilie?" Barriss was ready for this negotiation, but wasn't ready for the crash course in Denali linguistics. The Denali chief looked to be thinking of a way of explaining in the common tongue, but resorted to a non-verbal 'sign language' of sorts. Barriss loosely interpreted that he meant that the Clones must remain imprisoned. So, she continued. Before negotiating for the Republic, she had to get the Clones released. "Honorable Chief, the ack- … muvra, attacked our group. These men were defending themselves. Surely you must defend yourselves when attacked," Barriss said while motioning to the Denali warriors and their spears.

"They did much more than defend. They destroy. They take muvra life. They crush Mouth of Karva. They know only war." The chief had a sting of disdain as he spoke about the Clones.

"It was a misunderstanding, I assure you," Barriss continued. "You have my word that we come to you as keepers of the peace."

The Denali chief looked confused at her response as if it wasn't even relevant to what he said. All of the Denali were quiet and listening to the negotiation. Barriss wasn't sure if the chief was confused or if she possibly offended him. Ahsoka was still calming the storm in her heart, but was also intentionally letting Barriss handle the negotiation. After all, it was Barriss' mission. Ahsoka was just supposed to accompany. When the silence dragged on too long for her still considerably short patience, Ahsoka paraphrased what Barriss said to try and get things moving again. "Jedi are peacekeepers of the Republic. We seek to end war and restore balance."

"Please. You have my word that these men are no threat to you. We came here to speak with you." Barriss concluded.

"Peacekeepers…" The Denali chief responded finally. "Jedi must be all same – confused. Jedi Jinn had my trust. I will hold you to your word Jedi-"

"Barriss Offee, and this is Ahsoka Tano." Barriss smiled. She'd nearly forgotten that it was Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn who had originally made contact with the Denali so many years ago. It gave her the opening that they needed. Ahsoka happily went over to the Clones who were being released from their wooden prison while Barriss continued to speak with the chief. "Chief, what do you mean by confused?"

"War does not end with peace." The chief then turned and began to walk away. After Barriss hesitated to follow, he turned briefly back towards her. "Follow. We will talk at Niajin." He then continued to walk away. Some of the Denali followed him while others tended to the acklay or other duties. Barriss turned to see Ahsoka leading the Clones back to her. Finally reunited with their full company, Barriss and Ahsoka led the way to whatever Niajin was.


	6. Chapter 6

**Mission to Denalia Prime  
Chapter VI**

For being led by an elderly Denali, the walk to Niajin was surprisingly long. The Denali chief led the way with many more Denali around him. Barriss, Ahsoka, and the Clones followed closely behind. The Clones were very happy to see that they were leaving the acklay and many of the Denali warriors behind.

The acklay camp was a lightly wooded area and they seemed to be heading further towards the edge of a forest. The trees were still titanic in scale reaching far above the clouds, but were becoming fewer and fewer, giving way to the sight of the sky above. Night was fast approaching and the Clones couldn't help but continually stare up at the Separatist frigates that were becoming visible in the waning light. With the lack of trees providing a canopy, the ships in orbit were finally visible without any technical assistance like Rex's binoculars. It had been two hours since Rex observed Luminara's retreat from the battle. They had, at most, one more hour before the clankers would start landing their troops. Gree hypothesized that the Seps were waiting on a supply ship to join the blockade in orbit above Denalia Prime.

As they walked, Ahsoka and Rex debriefed each other on what had occurred since their separation. It took only a few minutes for Ahsoka to describe the river ordeal and the acklay ride. She was very eager to hear what happened to Rex and the other troops. "We didn't know if you were going to be able to join the fight, Commander," Rex continued. "With the acklay closing in, I had to make a choice. We were about to be overrun and your survival is more important than ours."

"Rex, your survival is just as important as mine. No life is more important than another," Ahsoka said smiling. It was a talk they'd gone back and forth on ever since they met on Christophsis, but Rex insisted that the Jedi were more valuable. Strategically, he was right. Morally, he was wrong.

"Nevertheless, I am sorry for trapping you and Commander Offee in that cave. Collapsing the entrance was the only way I could think of to keep the acklay from getting to you," Rex continued getting caught up in his apology.

"It's alright Rex. We're all here and still breathing," Ahsoka reassured him. She rested her hand on his shoulder as they walked. It was a gesture of friendship and trust that most Jedi wouldn't normally do, but Ahsoka wasn't a normal Jedi. She was his friend; a result of Skywalker's teachings if anything. "What happened next?"

Rex took a long sigh and then explained. "After collapsing the cave entrance, the acklay charged us and we had no room to maneuver. Hardcase got a shot off with his rocket launcher and took the closest one out, but it was too close. The explosion sent us all to the dirt. Tup, Hardcase and Gree were out cold. Dura, Jesse and I were disoriented from shell shock. We were bait for the remaining acklay, but then they stopped attacking. The Denali found us, probably from hearing Hardcase's explosives, and with some odd-sounding commands stopped the acklay."

The Clone captain continued to shake his head in disbelief at the Denali's control over the beasts. "The acklay stood there only meters from us and didn't move. The Denali that seemed to be in charge shouted something else and the acklay withdrew. I'd never seen anything like it. We thought they were allies, but as soon as the acklay were gone they turned their spears on us. We were in no condition to fight, so they took our weapons and armor. We didn't really recover until we were in that cage you found us in."

Ahsoka pondered for a moment before responding. "Their beastmastery is unusually strong. It bears similar resemblance to a Jedi's ability to control or manipulate animals through the Force."

"You think they are Jedi, Sir?" Rex asked.

"No," Ahsoka replied while looking deep in thought.

Barriss then chimed in with one of her 'did you know' facts that was surprisingly relevant for once. "I read in the Jedi Archives not too long ago about native Felucians. They, as a species, have a strong connection to the Force. They don't use it directly like Jedi do though. It's more passive, like an ability to sense danger, understand wildlife and grow crops. Though it hasn't been confirmed yet, there have been reports that they can even domesticate rancors. It's possible that the Denali are similar in that way."

Ahsoka agreed. "Rancors aren't as impulsive and intelligent as acklay, but that would explain their ability to control the acklay while the acklay still clearly have an independent and wild spirit about them. I wonder…"

"Commander?" Rex asked not sure if Ahsoka was aware that she didn't finish her comment.

"I think we're finally arriving at our destination," Ahsoka announced.

A Denali woman walking near them turned back towards Ahsoka. "You hear Niajin? You hear like Denali!" She seemed amused, but it confirmed Ahsoka's guess.

Ahsoka looked around to see Barriss and the Clones all looking very curious and clueless. "I hear drums slowly getting louder. You should hear them soon." Ahsoka smiled feeling a little more special than usual.

Barriss grinned and referenced their earlier conversation. "Definitely better than having to manage hair. I'm only just now starting to hear drums."

"Yeah," Ahsoka replied, "but the cries of the acklay at close range are torture for my montrals."

"There's a bonfire up ahead." Commander Gree pointed forward.

The same Denali woman who had spoken before pointed to the fire in the distance which was also where the drums sounded like they were coming from. "We go to Niajin. Chief talk to Jedi."

"Finally." Ahsoka replied bluntly.

* * *

Niajin was apparently the fulcrum of the Denali civilization on Denalia Prime. There was a large bonfire in the center with countless huts or dwellings stretching out in every direction. Trees that were a bit smaller than those seen previously shot up here and there amongst the settlement along with large, rust-colored rock formations. On each side of the central bonfire were pairs of trees with large drumheads stretched between them. It was unclear what the drums were made out of, but what was more interesting was how they were being played. A Denali stood to the side of each of the two drums and they were throwing stones across the bonfire at the drum opposite of them respectively. The stones struck the drums hard enough to bounce back across the fire to the Denali. It was like a beautiful juggling act as the Denali musicians threw the striking stones across the fire and caught them as they returned.

As the Jedi and Clones followed the Denali chief towards the bonfire and performance, Barriss and Ahsoka couldn't help but notice all of the art surrounding them. The trees had beautiful carvings all through the trunks, the huts and dwellings were covered in illustrations of everything from landscapes to Denali faces and stones were carved into intricate sculptures. They were learning more and more about the Denali culture and were beginning to truly appreciate how different they were from others in the galaxy. While their spear weapons were primitive and crude, their artwork had a level of sophistication and craftsmanship that transcended most other cultures. It was becoming very clear what the Denali valued most.

The group of travelers encircled the bonfire and seemed to be sitting down for their continued talk. The chief made a few gestures towards the Clones that didn't look particularly friendly and Barriss interpreted it as something about disapproval. So, she ordered the Clones to sit further back from the fire behind them as they sat down near the chief. The chief seemed to approve. Barriss smiled and whispered to Ahsoka. "I think I'm getting a handle on their sign language."

"One more language. What's one more to the dozen you already know? Just some light evening study…" Ahsoka playfully mocked Barriss' talent for xenolinguistics.

"I have to do something while you're busy drooling over the beastmastery of acklay." Barriss retorted.

Their playful banter would've probably persisted for a long while, but the chief raised his hand to silence everyone nearby. "Jedi talk." They were all sitting around the fire which was just a little too tall to see over from a seated position. Ahsoka and Barriss, who were sitting to one side of the chief, looked at each other briefly before silently deciding that Barriss should start. The Mirialan Padawan stood up to address the chief, but he motioned for her to sit again.

Barriss sat back down next to Ahsoka and pivoted in her seat to address the chief. "As Jedi, we wish to keep the peace on your world, but we need your help. The Separatists threaten your world and we need a base to maintain your sovereignty."

The chief scowled. "What do Separatists want?"

"They wish to take control of your world, Denalia Prime, and use it as a base to launch attacks on other worlds." Barriss answered.

"They want what you want; a base. Why should we choose Jedi?" The chief replied simply.

"We wish to defend you and keep the peace on your world. The Separatists won't ask. They will take your world and do whatever they want with it." Barriss tried to keep the negotiation simple. The Denali were surprisingly advanced culturally despite their technologically primitive civilization, but their understanding of the Clone Wars was debatable.

The chief seemed to be in deep thought for a long while. He then finally replied. "Jedi, you say, are peacekeepers. You fight for peace, yes?"

"Yes, we only fight in order to bring the war to an end. We strive to keep the peace in the galaxy." Barriss wasn't sure where this was going, but she hoped that honesty would guide the way.

"So, Jedi are same as those men. Jedi are warriors." The chief didn't seem to be confused so much as trying to prove a point.

"No," Barriss answered. "We are peacekeepers. We maintain the peace, and only fight to end fighting."

The chief sighed. "You do not stop fire with fire. You do not stop water with water. You do not stop fighting with fighting. Jedi think peace opposite to war? No. You want base to fight Separatist. Separatist want base to fight Jedi. Separatist and Jedi same. No base."

Barriss took a long, deep breath and sighed. This negotiation was not going to be a short one.

* * *

Meanwhile aboard the Tranquility, Luminara Unduli was finishing her directions to the helmsman. Admiral Hodgens had been waiting patiently for an explanation and seemed to finally be getting one. As soon as Luminara turned away from the helmsman, Hodgens addressed her. "Sir, if I may ask, where are we going?"

"To the battle above Denalia Prime, Admiral." Luminara answered simply. She then addressed the bridge. "Divert all power to the forward turbolaser batteries and the remaining power to the forward deflector shields."

"General, we have not repaired the damage to the Tranquility nor have we received reinforcements. Returning to battle is suicide!" Admiral Hodgens was growing increasingly nervous.

Luminara turned to the helmsman. "How long until we've completed our last segment of our hyperspace maneuver?"

"Only a few minutes left, General," the helmsman answered.

The Mirialan Jedi Master finally gave Admiral Hodgens her full attention, complete with the authoritative gaze of a teacher. "Let this be a lesson in not only patience, but trust, Admiral Hodgens. I can seek your approval and keep you informed on every decision that I make if you so desire, but keep in mind that if I had done so earlier, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Those hyena bombers would've killed us both."

"Yes, General. I do understand, but-" Hodgens tried to stand his ground, but was cut off.

"When I am not on board, I need to place all of my trust in you to command this fleet," Luminara continued. "I trust you, Admiral Hodgens. You haven't earned it, but you have it because I can't spend my time constantly second-guessing or requiring explanations for your decisions as a commander. I trust you to do your job. Trust me to do mine."

The admiral was speechless. He had no retort or continued argument. Satisfied with the effect of her lecture, Luminara returned her attention to the helmsman. He updated her on their progress. "Any moment now," he said as he pointed to the front of the bridge.

"Bow turbolaser batteries, prepare to fire!" Luminara ordered to the bridge. The Tranquility finished its complex hyperspace maneuver. It jumped out of hyperspace and was immediately joined by the rest of the fleet, but not in a position that any Separatist droid or commander was prepared for. "Fire!"

The entire Republic fleet had exited hyperspace directly above the Separatist fleet with their bows faced directly down towards the planet. The Separatist frigates and the supply ship that just joined the blockade were prepared to fight ships in front of them, not above them, and were positioned level with the planet below them. Artificial gravity generators took a lot of energy and it was more efficient to use the planet's gravity instead when in a blockade formation. Blue laserfire rained down on them like a meteor shower. "Aim for the bridge of each ship!" Luminara ordered.

Admiral Hodgens was baffled by the tactic. The Separatist munificent frigates had most of their heavy cannons mounted on the underside of the ships which made orbital bombardment very easy, but it left the top of the ships mostly defenseless. One by one, the ships broke apart and were destroyed during their helpless attempt to reposition their defense. Hodgens stood alongside Luminara and spoke with new humility. "My sincerest apologies for doubting you, General."

Luminara turned the young admiral with a warm smile. "No apology necessary. Commanders too often forget that we are in space. They try to orient their fleets and strategize on a two-dimensional battlefield with the planet fixed below them. Space is three-dimensional and there is no up or down. The hyperspace maneuver took longer than I'd hoped, but I'm glad to see that it worked and that we got back before they could land their troops."


	7. Chapter 7

**Mission to Denalia Prime  
Chapter VII**

The negotiations were nearly at an impasse. Barriss Offee was patient and not ready to give up, but Ahsoka was growing increasingly wary. Barriss could sense the frustration and turned to reassure her friend. "I think we might be getting somewhere soon. The debate doesn't seem to be on moral grounds so much as a confusion of semantics. I just need to find the right wording that they'll understand."

"Aggressive negotiations are so much easier," Ahsoka mumbled more to herself than to anyone in particular.

"The right way of doing things is rarely the easier-" Barriss began practically quoting Jedi Grand Master Yoda before Ahsoka raised a hand to cut her off.

"Well, the easy way is going to happen very soon regardless. Rex said that Master Luminara retreated and the Seppies are going to start landing troops soon." At first, Ahsoka seemed to be losing her patience, but Barriss could see growing concern in her friend's eyes. She was worried.

Barriss looked up to the night sky. The Separatist supply ship was in position to begin launching landing crafts. All of her patient negotiating was about to be for nothing and she had no idea how to explain the situation to the Denali. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Steeling herself for the new situation at hand, Barriss turned to the Denali chief to explain what was about to happen. Before she could get a single word out though, Rex shouted while looking through his binoculars at the ships in orbit. "Look, Sirs! Reinforcements!"

Luminara's fleet had returned! They were ripping the Separatist fleet to shreds with an incredibly effective battle strategy. Flashes of laserfire and exploding Separatist ships lit up the sky. Echoes of explosions roared through the sky stronger than raging thunderstorms as the Separatist ships broke apart. "My favorite kind of fireworks," Ahsoka said softly to herself. "Maybe we'll have a successful mission after all."

Barriss hated to pop Ahsoka's bubble so soon, but didn't want her friend to revel in false optimism. She rested her hand on Ahsoka's. "Perhaps not. Look again, Ahsoka." After looking at the increasingly frightened faces of the Denali, Ahsoka looked upwards again. The Separatist ships, or what was left of them, were getting larger very rapidly. Barriss spoke again, more to everyone than to an individual. "An often forgotten aspect of orbital space battles. Most of the debris from destroyed ships rain down like meteors to the planet below."

"You bring more destruction!" The Denali chief accused as he rose to his feet. "You bring death for us all!" He began motioning for the Denali people to rise up. Ahsoka and Barriss quickly rose to try and calm the Denali who were quickly panicking, but the Padawans were outsiders and had little to no effect on the rising panic.

Rex called Ahsoka over to him as he continued to stare at the falling ships above with his binoculars. "Sir, the debris will miss us by a few hundred kilometers at least."

"Thanks, Rex." Ahsoka turned quickly back to the chief and told him and Barriss. "We are in no danger by staying here. All of the debris will fall safely elsewhere."

After a few long moments of reluctance, the chief called out to his people to calm and return to the bonfire. Timid but trusting, the Denali men, women and children slowly rejoined the bonfire 'Niajin.' He then turned all of his attention to Ahsoka. "Safely? Jedi know nothing. Listen! Watch!"

Barriss and Ahsoka didn't quite understand until the first groups of debris began crashing down on the distant horizon. Trees as tall as mountains and possibly as old as the Republic fell and the sounds of countless screaming creatures could be heard amidst the splintering woods. With new humility, Barriss and Ahsoka turned back to the Denali chief whose face expressed the epitome of grief and disappointment. Barriss took a breath to speak, but the chief spoke first. "It is time for Jedi to leave. Keep your peace away from Denalia."

Barriss had a lot riding on this mission. True, it was important to the Republic, but it was also her first mission after her encounter with the Geonosian brain worms. She had to prove to the Jedi Council and herself that she was ready to be back on active duty. Until that point, she had been trying to enlighten the chief. It was time for a different approach. Humbled, she looked to the chief not as a leader of a primitive race, but as an equal. "Great Chief, how can we prove to you that we only wish to help and that we are on your side?"

The chief glared at them in silence for a very long time. Barriss was hoping that it was his thinking face and not the Denali sign language for 'get out.' She stood her ground and stared right back into his green, feline eyes. The Denali chief was elderly, but his tall, dark brown-furred figure was still intimidating. He could see something in Barriss though. Be it spirit or stubbornness, he changed his mind and gave her one last chance. "Peace not opposite to war."

"What is?" Barriss asked humbly.

"Creation," the Denali chief said simply. "War destroys life, destroys world. Fight fire with water. Fight shadow with light. Fight war with creation. What can Jedi create?"

"You want us to make something?" Ahsoka asked feeling more nervous than intrigued.

More Separatist frigate debris fell, still far away but close enough to distract their attention. The sky was ablaze with trails of falling ship parts. The chief's face grimaced and he turned back to the Padawans with more assertiveness. "Kuvin Jedi damach tryn," he growled. Barriss and Ahsoka were clueless as to what he said. He'd gotten so caught up in the devastation on the horizon that he forgot about using the common tongue. Noticeably swallowing some agitation, he rephrased. "Jedi prove now. Prove Jedi are more than warriors. Show Denali a Jedi creation or go."

"What would you have us create?" Barriss asked hesitantly. The chief motioned all around them at the sculptures and other forms of art that populated the area. Barriss turned to Ahsoka with an obvious amount of trepidation. "I think we need to create artwork."

The chief then verified that suspicion. "Promises of peace and understanding from strangers mean nothing. Words are hollow. No trust. Jedi create art at Niajin, Denali learn much more about who Jedi are on inside. Denali learn your intentions. Begin."

Barriss turned to Ahsoka again with more understanding. "The mission briefing did mention that the Denali were a very spiritual people."

After swallowing some nerves, Ahsoka voiced her reluctance. "With all due respect, Chief, the last time I tried to paint… well, I'm pretty sure there are still paint stains on the Jedi Temple walls."

The Denali around the campfire laughed a fair bit at the comment, but Ahsoka's nervousness remained. So, the chief elaborated. "Creation is expression… any expression."

Ahsoka would've asked for more elaboration, but was interrupted when Clone Captain Rex subtly called the Padawans attention by clearing his throat. The chief didn't appreciate the interruption, but allowed it and the two Jedi turned to face Rex. "Pardon me, Sirs, but there is an incoming transmission from the Tranquility."

With the chief's approval, Barriss and Ahsoka rose to their feet and walked a short distance from the fire. Without further delay, Dura activated a holocomm. A life-sized holoform of Luminara Unduli appeared in front of the Padawans. Barriss smiled with a sigh of relief. "Master, it is good to see that you are well."

"And you also," Luminara replied. "The Separatists have been repelled from the system. What is the status of the negotiations?"

"The negotiations are going well…" Barriss began and then trailed off. She didn't really know how to explain the current situation.

"Is there a problem?" Luminara inquired in her stoic demeanor. If she was concerned, she didn't reveal it.

"Well… the Denali require that we make art, I think." Barriss said hesitantly. "Something about creation being expression and showing them who we are on the inside."

"Sounds quite clear, my Padawan. You must perform some sort of artistic expression to gain their favor." Luminara tried not to smile, but Ahsoka's face was contorting further and further with social discomfort. Luminara found it quite humorous.

Finally, Ahsoka spoke up. "With all due respect, Master, they don't yet realize that they don't want to watch me try to paint."

"I don't think you have to paint. I recall Master Qui-Gon telling me about his journey to Denalia Prime. He mentioned that he only earned their trust after telling them a story. Your creation can be anything so long as it is your own. It could be through imagery, music, storytelling, dancing, and many other forms." Luminara smiled gently in reassurance. Barriss seemed to already have an idea of what she'd do, but was too shy to mention it and left the attention on Ahsoka. The young Togruta didn't seem to be relieved at all, but Luminara could see that this was something that the Padawans needed to do on their own and concluded the holocall. "I'm sure you both will do just fine. Is there anything else?"

"No, Master," Barriss replied timidly. "Thank you, Master."

"Good," Luminara said with a teacher's confidence. "I'll send a shuttle once negotiations are concluded then. May the Force be with you."

"And you also, Master," Barriss bowed as the holocall was ended. The Clones and the Padawans returned to their seats around the fire. The Denali chief was impatiently glaring at the Padawans, waiting for them to 'create something.'

Ahsoka thought for a long moment. Barriss was busy trying to swallow a rancor-sized ball of nervousness or shyness in her throat. Only after a slight awkward silence, an idea popped into Ahsoka's head and she immediately regained her confidence. She then asked Jesse for an empty canteen. "I'm not sure if this will work, but it's worth a shot," she said as she fiddled with the canteen and her own along with a bamboo-like plant that was growing next to her.

While she fiddled with the canteens, she explained. "My people's montrals…" Ahsoka looked up and saw that they did not know the word. So, she pointed at her head. "horns… are hollow and that is how we hear. They are a lot more sensitive though than most species' ears. Before the Republic recognized my people, we lived very similarly to the way you choose to live. In order to communicate across great distances, we would play music. It's not quite the same, but what I'm trying to make here is a traditional Togrutan instrument that was used to communicate peace, celebration and remembrance."

With that explanation, the locals were entranced as Ahsoka fiddled with the canteen and bamboo. Caught up in her crafting, Ahsoka didn't notice that Barriss was also mesmerized by the story and the opportunity to hear Ahsoka play this makeshift instrument. After a little bit of fidgeting and using a smoldering branch from the fire to mold the pieces together, Ahsoka held her instrument. It was rather simple. Two canteens stood upright with a short, hollow branch connecting them at the bottom. Ahsoka asked for Barriss' canteen which she handed over a little too eagerly. Ahsoka poured the full canteen into the instrument making each canteen of the instrument about half full as the water balanced out between them through the hollow branch. She rested her bottom lip softly over the edge of one of the canteens and blew softly across the top of the mouthpiece.

A deep and smooth whistle hummed across the campfire. The locals were already very impressed. Hearing the test sound, the chieftain finally showed interest beyond his usual stoic expression. Barriss was holding her breath in anticipation for what was to come. Ahsoka closed her eyes and began blowing across the mouthpiece of the canteen in a slow, melodic rhythm. The locals were expecting to hear the same note over and over, but then Ahsoka tilted her instrument as she continued to play it. More water entered the side of the canteen that she wasn't blowing across and the notes she played began dropping in pitch. The trick of the instrument was revealed and the locals applauded as Ahsoka began tilting her instrument left and right to raise or lower the pitch of her song. It wasn't perfect since it was a makeshift instrument, but the sheer ingenuity was enough nonetheless that Ahsoka was playing a very lovely melody.

A few minutes later, Ahsoka eased away on the volume of her playing as if the music was dissipating into the sound of the crackling campfire. The Denali erupted with applause and cheer. Ahsoka was hoping they'd like it, but she blushed tremendously when she looked behind her to see the troopers applauding as well. Making her blush even more was Barriss who by far was the most enthusiastic in applauding Ahsoka's melody. The Mirialan girl was clapping so hard it sounded like her hands would be hurting from the impact.

When the applause died down, the Denali chief nodded approvingly at Ahsoka. He then nodded at Barriss queuing that it was her turn to earn their approval. Ahsoka turned to her fellow Padawan curiously. "What will you do?" Barriss didn't reply. She simply smiled and gracefully stood up. She walked over to one of the drummers who stood attentively by his tree-bound drumhead. Barriss bowed respectively and then reached out her hands in a requesting gesture. The Denali musician understood and handed her his two striking stones that he used to play the drum on the opposite side of the campfire. All she needed to do was look across the fire at the other Denali musician and he understood as well; tossing his striking stones over to her.

Barriss then motioned for both of the drummers to move away from their drums as she moved to stand in front of the Denali chief and Ahsoka. After turning to face the fire, she stood incredibly still with statuesque posture. Her hands were clasped around the four striking stones and her head was lowered with her eyes closed. All waited to the crackling sound of the campfire. A few of the Denali began to fidget with impatience. Only the chief and Ahsoka seemed to notice that the fire in front of Barriss was slowly growing.

With a slow and deep breath, Barriss unclasped her hands and gracefully outstretched her arms to each side as the striking stones hovered in front of her. Using the Force, Barriss moved the stones slowly over the fire as they began to circle each other. Most of the Denali were amazed at witnessing the telekinetic use of the Force for the first time. The chief and Ahsoka watched intensively. Behind Ahsoka, Hardcase blurted out to one of his brothers. "Oh, this is going to be good!" Ahsoka snapped around and punched him in the shoulder. The punch was half playful and half serious, but he got the message to 'shut it.'

Just as the Clones and Ahsoka refocused their attentions on Barriss, she broke her stoic presence with a dramatic twirl. The fire erupted in front of her as the four spiraling striking stones shot off to opposite ends of the fire. Using the Force, Barriss controlled the striking stones to bounce rapidly back and forth across the campfire against the tree-bound drumheads as she twirled and dipped. The stones set a fast-paced rhythm with some strikes louder than others. Her dance was exotic and foreign for the Denali, the Clones, and Ahsoka to see. The usually calm and collected Barriss Offee was spinning and leaping around the campfire as a mad dervish. The striking stones shot back and forth amidst her dancing; pounding on the drumheads so quickly that they were a dull grey blur to common eyes. The drums set the rhythm and Barriss stole the hearts of each and every person present one by one.

Her eyes were closed and her face was calm despite her energetic dancing. All of her focus was on her dance and keeping the striking stones striking at a repetitive rhythm. Her eyes flashed open for a moment when she heard something that wasn't Denali or Clone cheers. A low, long-toned melody began playing to the striking stones' rhythm and Barriss' dynamic dancing. Ahsoka had picked her Togrutan instrument back up and was playing along to Barriss' dancing. For that brief moment when Barriss opened her eyes, her gaze met Ahsoka's and they both couldn't help but smile. Ahsoka swayed in her seat to the rhythm. Barriss, though her eyes remained closed, smiled throughout the rest of her dance. She leapt over the fire a few times and even back-flipped over it once to add more flair to her dance. If this was the only time that Ahsoka was going to see Barriss dance, it was going to be her best dance ever.

Her hood didn't stay up past the first few moments. With her hair whipping around and her legs continually escaping her tattered skirt that desperately tried to keep up with her, the Clones were seeing a rare sight that would certainly make for excellent exaggeration later on. With a final use of the Force to thrust some embers into the air from the fire, the striking stones stopped at their respective drums and returned to Barriss. She wiped the wild hair from her face and pulled her hood back up as she regained her composure. Ahsoka returned the same enthusiastic clapping that Barriss had given her earlier as everyone within earshot began cheering. The chief nodded approvingly of Barriss' performance.

After a respectful bow in response, Barriss gave the striking stones back to the Denali drummers and returned to her seat next to Ahsoka as she attempted to catch her breath. She wanted to regain and maintain her usual unreadable demeanor, but her eyes were wild with thirst to know Ahsoka's thoughts on her dancing. She didn't stare, but her eyes kept shooting over to Ahsoka looking for any sort of reaction. Ahsoka knew Barriss well enough. After torturing Barriss with some mischievous silence, Ahsoka put an arm around Barriss as they both looked into the fire. "So, you're a dancer, huh? I honestly never would've guessed that."

"Really?" Barriss asked between attempts at catching her breath.

"Yeah, I figured you'd weave a basket or something." Ahsoka relished in Barriss' hidden and silent response. Not much was visible, but Ahsoka could feel a frustrated scream radiating from Barriss. Ahsoka didn't want to torture her friend too much though and relieved the panicking Mirialan. She pulled Barriss close and whispered into her hood. "You just achieved a completely different level of amazing in my book."

Barriss' face turned a pinkish-red as she revealed a smile she couldn't possibly hope to contain. Before either Padawan could continue their private conversation, the Denali chief stood up. This made everyone fall silent and return to their seats. "Far more than I expected. Thank you for sharing your creation with us. Denali People are honored to share Niajin with you." With those words, two Denali lit torches from a fire pit that glowed softly behind the chief and took the torches over to the Padawans. The torches were handed to Barriss and Ahsoka as the chief motioned for them to stand. As they did so, everyone erupted in cheers.

Ahsoka turned to Barriss as they held the torches up. "I guess this means we can talk about the treaty now?" Barriss turned her head towards Ahsoka with a gentle smile. "No, Ahsoka. This means that we are now members of their family."


End file.
